


One

by Thistlerose



Category: Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey
Genre: F/M, Ficlet, Gen, Missing Scene, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-06
Updated: 2012-02-06
Packaged: 2017-10-30 17:10:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/334095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thistlerose/pseuds/Thistlerose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While preparing for a gather, Jaxom and Ruth receive some surprise visitors.<br/>Written in 2006.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One

A shadow fell across the parapet, causing Jaxom – who was thoroughly soaked with sudsy water – to shiver. The shadow passed in a moment, and Ruth bugled joyfully.

_Canth!_

The white dragon's pleasure at the brown's arrival warmed Jaxom. "F'nor?"

_Of course,_ Ruth replied in a slightly admonishing tone. _And Brekke, and Felessan._

"Here for the gather, of course." Jaxom dunked his sponge in the water-filled bucket by his feet, then attacked Ruth's back vigorously.

_Am I not clean enough, yet?_

"Maybe I just like doing this."

_I like it, too. But oil would be nicer. I'll itch when I'm dry._ Now Ruth sounded slightly aggrieved.

"When you're dry," promised Jaxom, "I'll give you a thorough oiling."

Ruth rumbled with satisfaction and Jaxom couldn't resist looking up into the huge eyes. They were the softest of blues, and suddenly a clean hide seemed grossly overrated. Jaxom was Lord Holder of Ruatha, and Ruth was his dragon; so what if they looked as if they'd been playing in mud puddles (which they had, after the rain had finally stopped earlier that morning)?

_Canth has landed on the fire heights. F'nor, Brekke, and Felessan are on their way._

"I should finish cleaning you," said Jaxom ruefully, but he didn't move.

A sly gold spark appeared in the blue. _F'nor and Brekke are not F'lar and Lessa. They will not care._

"They'll think I'm not taking proper care of you."

Ruth blew gently at him through his nostrils. _They will not._

Jaxom had dropped his sponge and was stroking Ruth's left eye ridge by the time their unexpected guests joined them on the parapet. Felessan, heedless of F'nor's warning, ran forward, skidded on the wet flagstones, and crashed into Jaxom. They both fell against Ruth.

"Sorry, sorry!" Felessan spluttered, as he tried to pick himself up. "Sorry," he said more respectfully, to Ruth, once he was back on his feet. He turned to Jaxom. "I haven't seen you in forever!"

"Not since I impressed Ruth," said Jaxom.

"He's so _big._ He was barely bigger than a fire lizard when he hatched."

"He wasn't _that_ small," said Jaxom defensively. "And he's not so big now."

_I'm going to get bigger,_ was Ruth's comment.

F'nor and Brekke had drawn near. Jaxom thought that they looked tired and pale, but he'd expected that they would. He had heard about F'nor and Canth's jump _between_ to the Red Star, and the massive injuries they'd sustained. He'd also heard that Brekke had spent days tending him, though she herself had barely recovered from the shock of losing her dragon, Wirenth, months before. They seemed to lean toward each other, F'nor and Brekke, as if drawing strength from each other's nearness. Jaxom had seen riders and dragons lean together that way, imagined that he and Ruth did the same unconsciously.

At least they were smiling. And dressed nicely. Which meant that they were here for the gather, for pleasure. 

"Ruth looks well," said F'nor, clapping Jaxom's shoulder. "And yourself. Looks like you've both had a thorough washing."

"Better not let Lytol see you," Brekke added. "Unless you want a lecture on walking around in wet clothes."

"I'm not walking around," Jaxom pointed out. "Though I'd better change if I'm going to make it to the gather before nightfall. You'd think things would wait for me, being Lord Holder and all."

"If Ruth could fly, you could go _between_ times," said Felessan unhelpfully.

"Ruth will be flying soon enough," Jaxom said. He didn't know yet how big Ruth would get, if he'd be large enough to carry Jaxom. But that was a worry he did not care to voice. _We will fly together,_ he thought urgently. _Some day._

_We will,_ promised Ruth. _Farther than anyone has flown. Except Canth and F'nor._

Brekke's hand trembled slightly, as if she wished to touch either Ruth or Jaxom, but was holding herself back. "I— He's beautiful, Jaxom."

Ruth threw his head back and extended his wings proudly.

"You _are_ beautiful," Brekke said to the dragon.

_Show-off,_ thought Jaxom.

_I'm not showing off,_ Ruth retorted. _I'm showing!_

Brekke laughed. "Ramoth says that to Lessa sometimes. I've overheard them."

Jaxom had forgotten that Brekke could hear other dragons, even after the loss of her own. Had she heard everything that Ruth had said to him? Something burned in the pit of his stomach; it took him a moment to realize – to his surprise and shame – that it was jealousy. He didn't like it that someone – even such a brave, kind woman as Brekke – could hear Ruth. Ruth was _his_. What they shared was _private._

Jaxom took a step closer to his dragon, felt the smooth hide against his palm. _Mine,_ he thought. _Like my skin. Like my blood._

Ruth inclined his head until the corner of his jaw was mere inches from Jaxom's cheek. Out of the corner of his eye, Jaxom glimpsed the huge, serenely blue eye – and felt immediately as if someone had doused the smoldering thing in his stomach.

He breathed deeply. He _wasn't_ angry with Brekke. He had his dragon, after all, and she had lost hers. He couldn't begrudge her the dragon voices she heard, even if one of them was Ruth's.

Still, he was less inclined to attend the gather than he'd been before his visitors arrived. After F'nor, Brekke, and Felessan left, Jaxom got a pot of oil and set about rubbing it into Ruth's hide. He would be filthy by the time he was through, he knew, and he'd have to take a bath, which would make him even later…

Lytol would scold, but so what? Ruth was fairly keening with pleasure, and what could possibly be more important than that? 

_You are my blood,_ Jaxom thought as he oiled. _You are my skin. My heart._

_And you are mine._

The world dropped away, unnoticed. 

02/14/06


End file.
